Milady
by SouthernSinfonian
Summary: Aslan has assigned a young American ranger to guard the Pevensie children until the battle for Narnia. How will Susan react to this cocky guardsman? SusanxOC. Rated for later chapters.
1. Arrival

As the Beavers led Peter, Susan, and Lucy over a ridge, they all saw an endless sea of crimson tents. "This must be Aslan's main camp," remarked Mr. Beaver. "We'd best be going to meet him. Come on!" Before they could move toward the camp, a figure raced out of the camp and headed for the travelers. "Judging by his speed," thought Mr. Beaver, "he must be a centaur, the most powerful fighters of Narnia, behind Aslan, of course.

However, as the figure drew dear, it became quite clear that the fighter was not a centaur. In fact, he was not even a creature of Narnia. A human boy about Peter's age rode up on a small but agile mustang. His chestplate and greaves were made of black boiled leather, not enough to stop a Minotaur's axe, but enough to keep it from killing him. Over this he wore a dark hooded cloak. He wore no helm. Two curved scimitars rested in sheaths mounted on the saddle, and a powerful longbow was strapped to his back. His skin was dark as were his eyes and long hair. This slightly foreboding appearance was softened by an easy smile.

"My lord and ladies, I am Scott Castillo, the Forest Ranger. I was the leader of the Narnia Liberation Movement, aka The Resistance, until we joined forces with Aslan." His grin widened. "Speaking of Aslan, I've been sent to escort you all to him. He wishes to meet with you."

Susan searched his face. "Carefree grin, western accent, laid-back attitude…you're from the States!" she exclaimed.

Scott laughed and placed a hand to his heart. "Milady, I'm hurt at how you seem to think Americans are lazy, pleasure-loving fools. But yes, I am your friendly Southern Californian mercenary. I am at your service." He dismounted his horse and mock-bowed. "Shall the ladies ride?"

Peter nodded at his sisters. Susan and Lucy came forward, and Scott helped them mount. Seeing the unasked question in Scott's eyes Lucy exclaimed, "Don't worry, Scott. We know how to ride."

Scott grinned again. "Good, then let's go. Aslan is waiting." Pulling the Beavers aside, he whispered, "Aslan will no doubt tell you this himself, but thank you for bringing these three here safely. I'm worried about the fourth however."

Mrs. Beaver spoke up. "Edmund has been taken by the White Witch."

Scott nodded gravely. "Yeah, I'm aware of that. My spies have informed me of Edmund's position, but that report came yesterday. Jadis has no doubt moved and taken him with her. I have no clue what she plans to do now, so I don't know what direction she has chosen to move in. I'm going to talk to Aslan and General Oreius so that we can mount a rescue operation." This said, he caught up with Lucy and Susan. Peter walked behind him with the Beavers. "You know," Scott said to Susan, "being and American and all, I'm really not all for this monarchy thing."

Looking down at the ranger, Susan asked, "Should that be any cause for concern? Will we have to worry about you leading a revolution to replace our reign with a democracy?"

Laughing, Scott replied. "No, no. I wouldn't mind too much if you took the thrones with your siblings."

Confused, Susan asked, "Now why is that?"

Scott cocked an eyebrow. "Isn't it obvious? You would look so beautiful in royal garments. Actually, you'd look beautiful in anything."

Susan looked at him suspiciously. "Are you flirting with me?"

He shrugged. "Is it working?" At this, Susan tossed her head and urged the horse forward. Gazing at her retreating form, Scott muttered, "Apparently not."

"Good job," called a voice from behind him. The ranger turned to see Peter smiling at him.

"What do you mean?" asked Scott. "Aren't you supposed to be mad at me for hitting on your sister? You know, threaten me and warn me to stay away from her."

Peter laughed. "Most boys would hope to avoid all that. If you get more serious, you may get some, if not all, of it. However, simple flirting isn't going to get you in trouble, at least not with me. I'm just congratulating you on escaping unharmed. The last boy who flirted with Susan left with a nasty scar on his right cheek and an oddly-shaped nose. All she did to you was leave."

Whistling, Scott muttered, "I have _got_ to be more careful when choosing girls to go after. Well, thanks for the heads up, milord."

Peter shook his head. "No, don't call me 'milord.' It makes me feel old."

Scott sneered. "Ha! That was not what you should have told me. That just gives me another reason to continue, milord. Besides, my men are serving Aslan, and I call him 'milord' and 'esteemed general.' Now, how would it look if I called the leader of the army 'lord' but not the heir to the whole realm?"

"He's right, Peter. Aslan is a fierce fighter, but you are above him," chimed in Mr. Beaver.

Looking to Peter's waist, Scott asked, "May I see your blade, milord." Nodding, Peter drew the weapon and handed it to Scott. The ranger weighed it in his hand. "The weight is a little heavy for my tastes, but if you have no previous experience it should be just fine. The balance is perfect." Glancing at the pommel, a golden lion's head, he added, "And quite pretty to boot. No doubt you'll be knighted by Aslan, so you'd better start training to fight like one. Defense first. That shield won't let a lot through and your weapon is a shortsword so you should be able to move it fast enough to parry most attacks. Talk to our master-of-arms and he'll make sure you get armor worthy of your sword. He's a dwarf, one of the master forgers. You'll be well protected."

They were now a short distance from the sentries. Peter turned to the American saying, "You said my sword was too heavy for your tastes. What would you prefer?"

Scott eyed his liege carefully. "You'll make a good king, milord. You pick up on stuff that most people wouldn't. Find me after your audience with Aslan, and I'll tell you." Moving ahead of the mounted sisters, who were waiting for their companions, he approached the sentries, two powerful centaurs. "Where is your respect? Your lords are coming to meet with Aslan. Hail your lieges!"

The two centaurs bowed their heads and raised their lances in respect, muttering, "Yes, general."

As they entered the camp, the soldiers looked up from their various duties in wonder. Not only was the legendary Forest Ranger dismounted, but his horse was being ridden by two girls. After moving a short distance, Scott had his mount halt. "Forgive me, my ladies, but I must return my horse to the stables. Keep going, for Aslan's waiting for you. I will rejoin you once my duties are done." Susan and Lucy dismounted, and Scott took their place. Turning the mustang, he rode off in the direction of the stables.

The children met Aslan, and Scott returned just in time to hear Aslan ponder over the missing Edmund. One of Scott's rangers, a hawk, turned to him, muttering, "General, did you not receive our report concerning the Son of Adam's location?"

"Yeah, I did," whispered Scott, his swords now sheathed at his sides. "But some things should be unsaid. We didn't have time to launch a retrieval force before she moved, and telling Aslan and Oreius would have set the camp into chaos. Now, however, he knows." The hawk nodded knowingly.

Aslan turned to meet the Forest Rangers eyes. "General Castillo, you are to watch over the Pevensie children and prepare them for their trials ahead. I believe another human will make them feel more comfortable."

Scott nodded his head. "Yes, sir. As you command." With that, Aslan returned to his tent, and Scott walked over to his charges. "Well," he said, grinning broadly, "I'll be seeing a lot more of you." He focused his gaze on Susan, who rolled her eyes. Behind her, Peter was doubled over with silent laughter.

"Sir Scott, I thank you for your gracious care, but I must ask you to stop making flirtatious advances toward me," Susan said firmly.

The Forest Ranger raised his eyebrows. "Oh, so now were using the formal form of the word 'flirting' now are we, milady? It will be as you command. However, I will remind you that I am no knight, only a high-ranking soldier, so please don't attach a 'Sir' to my name. Also, don't ask me to do something, command me. You are my lady, and I am your retainer."

With that, Susan curled her hand into a fist and connected solidly with the side of Scott's face. The ranger went down from the unexpected blow. Susan stalked off, fuming, Lucy following behind her. Peter burst out laughing before helping his bodyguard up. "I warned you, Scott. You shouldn't have used the term '_my_ lady.'"

Rubbing his jaw, Scott replied, "Jeez, I'd meant that in a formal way. Your sister is one heck of a catch, but you have to fight to get her."

Peter laughed again. "All too true, my friend. All too true. Now, let's go. I plan on learning how to use this blade correctly, and you are going to teach me how."


	2. Settling In

"Where are we going?" asked Peter. Scott was leading him through a vast maze of tents and forges.

"To the master-of-arms, the dwarf Alfrigg. You have a sword to cut down your enemies and a strong shield to protect you, but, come on! Is your hand so fast that you can dodge or parry every blow that comes your way? No, milord, Alfrigg will forge you armor so fine that the sun will hide in shame. Not really, because it would _suck_ to fight in the dark against dwarves."

Peter looked up. "Wait, you said that the master-of-arms is a dwarf, yet we're fighting against dwarves? How is that?"

Scott groaned. "You're a clever guy, but not very wise. Look, what race are you? Human, right? Well what race is Hitler? He's also human. But look at what he's doing. He's cutting down tens of thousands of innocents. You're both human, but not both of you are evil."

"Oh, I'd never thought that way," admitted Peter. "I guess I've got a lot to learn."

"Yes you do," laughed the ranger. "Among those things is the art of war. You can't win Narnia if you can't even kill a wolf to protect your sisters." Before Peter could respond, Scott pressed on. "Yeah, I know about that. I control the little spiders in the woods. They tell me everything they see which is, well, everything. That aside, let's see Alfrigg about your armor. Tonight's mead says he'll have it done with enough time for at least two hours of training."

A few hours later, Peter had given his word to the kitchen staff that Scott was to receive his share of mead for the night. For as his guard had predicted, the dwarf and his brothers had a splendid suit of armor completed with three and a half hours before the supper bells rang.

Scott led Peter to the training grounds. He helped his lord into a suit of chainmail then helped secure the armor plating over it. Setting the ornate helm on his head, Scott said, "Now, milord, you wanted to know my fighting style. Well you saw my horse and you see my armor. You can guess that I excel in speed, not power or defense. I shoot as I advance, riding with only my knees. Actually, since I'm a ranger, I usually ambush rather than fight in the open. So, I shoot from cover until I'm found. As they close, I draw both blades." He unsheathed both and held one out to Peter. "Northern steel, the lightest and most durable metal known to this land. If there are a lot of Jadis' pigs, I dismount and tell the horse to escape. Otherwise, I fight mounted. I can't really put my bladework into words." Taking his sword back and facing Peter, he added, "So, you'll just have to see for yourself. Raise your shield, Peter Pevensie!"

The ranger launched himself at Peter, who barely had enough time to draw his sword. He clumsily parried the attack, the shock of the blow traveling down his arm. Peter was instantly forced onto the defensive, watching Scott dance around him, landing blow after blow. After a few, short minutes, Peter found himself disarmed with a blade at his throat. "Match. I win," whispered Scott. Sheathing his weapons, Scott added, "Don't worry, milord. Jadis has no soldiers as fast as us. They are my polar opposites. Slow, powerful, and stupid. We are most different in the final respect."

Peter, visibly shaken, replied, "Wow, I'm glad you're on our side."

Scott grinned, "I know. What just happened was to answer your question and let you get a feel for your armor. Tomorrow, we'll work with swords. For now, practice your horsemanship; you'll need it. I'm going to find your sisters and make sure they're all right." He started to walk off.

Peter called after him. "Hey, Scott! Remember you promised not to flirt with Susan anymore."

Scott turned his head but kept walking. "I said I wouldn't make any 'flirtatious advances.' I never said anything about romantic ones."

"Oh god, do you truly think you can get her to love you?"

Scott flashed Peter a cocky half-smile. "I know I can. Well, at least she'll think it's love. Buried deep inside the cold, logical Susan is a teenage girl longing to lie in the strong arms of a dark, handsome stranger. It's just a matter of how to unlock those primal urges. Who knows, maybe I'll even develop an emotional attachment to her. She certainly seems like the kind of girl I could bond with. Until supper, my mead-less lord."

Scott found Susan and Lucy at the archery range. Lucy was throwing her small dagger at the targets, while her older sister shot with her shortbow. "Good evening, ladies. How've you been so far today?" Susan glared at Scott upon hearing his voice, while Lucy muttered about going to find Peter before leaving. Scott approached Susan, kneeling before her. "Milady, I truly meant nothing by my earlier comments. I have often gotten in trouble for flirting with ladies such as yourself. However, my last words bore no invitation or flirtatious intentions. You are to be my queen, and I will be nothing but your soldier. I therefore have no right to pursue you. I ask for your forgiveness."

Susan's look softened a bit, and she helped the ranger to his feet. "I forgive you, Scott. Just try not to do anything rash in the future."

Scott smiled gratefully. "Thank you, milady." Gesturing to the target, he said, "I see you're an archer too. Do you want any help practicing, milady? For as you recall, Aslan ordered me to protect _and_ train you."

Susan hesitated, then nodded. "It would be helpful. As you can undoubtedly see, my accuracy is not to be compared to elite bowmen."

Scott laughed. "Well, milady, that is a problem. You are to be queen and, therefore, can be nothing less than elite. Come on, I'll help you. Let me see your bow." She handed him her slim, white bow. Turning it over in his hands, he commented, "This is a beautiful weapon to be sure. It is a shortbow, useful at short to medium distances. It has a lot of power at that range, but don't expect to hit a long range. To do that, you need one of these." He pulled out his longbow, which was more than half his height. "But I think this bow suits you. Now you need to suit yourself to the bow." Returning the bow to her, he said, "Let me see you shoot."

Susan drew an arrow from her quiver, and notched it. As she pulled back, her elbow went down and her eyes squinted. She released after a few moments, and the arrow lodged in the target well right of the bulls-eye. "Like I said, I have a lot of work to do."

Scott shook his head. "Actually, milady, I'm impressed. Almost all soldiers fail to shoot that accurately with only a day of experience. You just have a few technique issues to work out. First of all, keep both of your eyes fully open. You can see better that way." She shot again with her eyes open, her arrow closer to the center. "Now," he said approaching her, "one more thing." He put his arms around her and her pulse began to race. "Keep your elbow level." He drew her arm back, keeping it flat. The arrow flew through the air and pierced the center of the target. "Now try on your own." Susan pulled her arm back, but she couldn't keep her elbow down, or rather she wouldn't. She didn't know why, but he wanted the ranger to hold her once more. She had hit the guy just a few hours ago, but now she wanted him to be close to her. As she expected, Scott came over and once again helped her shoot. "Work on leveling your arm. Otherwise, perfect form." He started to walk away.

She watched his form retreat before calling his name. "Scott!" He turned to face her.

"Milady?"

She was breathing rapidly, like one who was thrilled about a recent pleasurable experience. "Will…will you come practice with me again tomorrow?"

He grinned. "Remember, milady, you don't ask your guard to do anything. You command him. It will be as you will, milady." Susan smiled, loving the sound of the way he said 'milady.' She suddenly shook her head. It was like Scott had said. The two could never have a relationship, even if he did like her back. Peter was determined to stay and free Narnia and Susan would have to stay along for the ride. She would then become queen and sociably be out of reach for Scott. She would marry some noble from a distant land and never see Scott again unless she appointed him as member of her guard. She had to stop thinking of him as more than her temporary bodyguard. He may be handsome, but that was all he could ever be to her.

Later that night, Scott noticed Susan returning to her tent after eating her evening meal. He ran over to her. "Milady, I heard about your scare at the river. Please forgive me."

Susan was confused. "Forgive you? What wrong have you done? What did you do to require my forgiveness?"

Scott bowed his head in regret. "I was unable to protect you at the river. I left you, your sister, and your brother all alone. I even delayed the reinforcements."

"What? Why would you do that?"

Scott shrugged. "I through it would be a good idea to let one of the attackers go so that he could be tailed. He would head straight for Jadis' camp. We could follow him and rescue Edmund. However, the time I took to explain my plan almost made Edmund's rescue almost came at the price of your life. Please, forgive me."

Susan took his head and lifted it. "There is nothing to forgive. You acted in my family's best interests. You did all you could, considering you weren't there to directly protect us. In fact, you not being there allowed Peter to be knighted."

"I've heard about that. Sir Peter Wolfsbane. Now, I have yet another knight to deal with." He groaned.

"What is the problem with knights?" asked Susan

"Simple," responded Scott. "Knights take vows of loyalty to the realm and the king. They swear that if the need arises, they will lay down their life for either. However, dead men help neither the king nor the realm. They're too loyal and honorable to run, save themselves, and fight another day." Scott cracked a small grin. "However, some knights aren't that bad. Your brother seems like a guy that I can handle."

Susan grinned, the first time Scott had seen her do so. "I'm glad to hear that. Do not forget archery practice tomorrow. It would pain me to miss my target and hit you because you weren't there to improve my accuracy."

"Would it pain you to shoot me, or pain you to not have done so sooner?"

Susan laughed. It was a gentle, easy laugh, not high or irritating like several girls Scott had the misfortune to know. "Well, the answer to that question depends on how you treat me over these next few days."

"I will not be late, milady. I'll meet you in the afternoon, for I'll train Peter in the morning. We're going to work with his blade and footwork. I'll have him do more horse drills while I work with you. In the morning, you can shoot without me if you want. Good night, milady."

With that, he walked off to check up on his rangers, a semi-social habit that allowed his men to know him as 'Scott' rather than 'Sir' or 'General.'

Susan watched him go, then turned and headed for the tent that she shared with Lucy. She entered to find her sister already there and waiting for her. "Susan, where were you?" asked Lucy.

"I was talking to Scott about this afternoon. He wanted to apologize for not being there when those wolves attacked us."

Lucy nodded. "You like him, don't you?"

Taken aback, Susan recoiled. "What? Don't be ridiculous, Lucy. We've only known each other for one day, although it has been a very long day at that. Regardless, I don't like him more than I would any soldier assigned as our bodyguard. He is our protector, nothing more."

"Hmm…I still think you like him. You just don't know it yet. Good night, Susan." With that, both sisters lay down to be quickly claimed by sleep.

Scott was talking to one of his men, a leopard, when General Oreius, the imposing centaur that rode at Aslan's side, came up to him. "General Castillo, we've recovered the fourth Son of Adam. He is being reviewed by the physicians to heal any injuries inflicted by the White Witch. He will see Aslan in the morning. For now, a small group of the Witch's troops, mostly dwarves, is coming this way. We didn't have time to turn and fight, so you must take a few rangers and dispose of them."

Scott nodded. "I'll take care of them. Just remember one thing, Oreius. You do not order the Forest Ranger to do anything unless you are Aslan or one of the heirs to Caer Paravel. Remember that, General Oreius." The centaur narrowed his eyes a bit, but Scott laughed. "Kidding, Oreius. I'll take care of the dwarves. With that, Scott selected eight satyrs, an eagle, and Notus, the younger brother of General Oreius, to come with him. Scott left his mustang and donned his hood, leading his men out of the camp and into the woods.

He spread his rangers out through the woods. "Jadis' men are stupid. They'll take the main road," whispered Scott. He sent Notus, armed with a longbow and a two-handed greatsword, far into the woods and ordered him not to move unless he was discovered. He had the eagle perch in a tree to await his signal. The satyrs, equipped with shortbows and shortswords, were spread out in the brush. Scott joined them. After a while, the clanking of armor was heard in the distance. Fifteen dwarves led by a wolf charged up the path. As they closed, Scott signaled the eagle, who swooped down, connecting solidly with the rear dwarf. The soldier didn't have time to cry out, but the _thump_ of his body on the ground alerted his comrades. As they turned, every ranger started firing their bows. Most of the dwarves were taken down in the first barrage, but a few were left standing. One of the dwarves took out a wickedly powerful shortbow and fired randomly into the bushes. A satyr caught the arrow low in the gut and went down.

At this, Scott dropped his longbow, drew his blades, and decapitated the archer in one fluid motion. A satyr's arrow stuck the last dwarf, leaving only the wolf. "Hello, Fenris," said Scott congenially. He let his hood drop, showing his face. "It's been a while. My, you've gotten fat."

Fenris growled. "Shut up, Forest Ranger. You got the better of me last time, but now, it's your turn to fall." At this, the wolf leaped at Scott, who used the flat of one of his blades to beat him down. "Don't toy with me, human. Just fight." Another charge, another beating. "Fight, you coward!"

Scott shook his head, grinning. "And kill an old friend? No way!" The process continued several times.

A stern voice behind him said, "If you won't do it, sir, I will. I suggest you move, sir." At those words, Scott sidestepped, dodging another of Fenris' attacks. A meaty _thwack_ came from behind him. Notus had brought down the wolf with a single blow from his greatsword. Turning to his general, Notus muttered, "Forgive me for disobeying orders, sir."

Facing the centaur, Scott muttered, "Don't worry about it. I would have finished him, but you were right. I was taking too long." Glancing to the wounded satyr, he asked Notus, "Can you take him back?"

The centaur nodded. "Yes, sir."

Scott led his rangers back to camp, and after taking the satyr to the healers, he retreated to his own, small tent. _'God, I've got to train Peter and Susan tomorrow. No doubt Edmund will need training as well. I'm going to be soooooo tired in the morning.' _With that thought, Scott collapsed onto his pallet and allowed sleep to claim him.


	3. Duty to Pleasure

The next morning, Scott woke to find that, even though he had god to sleep a mere three hours before, he was still among the first awake in the camp. While he waited for breakfast to be prepared in the mess tent, he took his swords one at a time and cleaned the blood from the blades before honing them with a whetstone. Finally, he was able to run to the mess tent, grab some food, and eat. Afterwards, he sought out Peter, who was waiting with his sisters for Aslan to finish talking with Edmund.

"Yeah, he came in camp last night," Scott reported to the siblings. Before any of them could ask, he added, "Jadis sent out some pests out after him, so I led a group of rangers to cover his entrance."

Peter turned to him, saying, "I want to look after my brother while he recovers, so I won't be training with you this morning. When he wakes up and eats, I'll come to you so you can work with both of us."

Scott nodded. "As you wish, Sir Peter. I'll have Alfrigg forge Edmund's armor. He doesn't need to be as shiny as you, so I'll have his armor forged more along the lines of a soldier's armor, rather than a knight's. It'll be less ornate and more functional." Peter nodded his approval. Turning to Lucy, he added, "And you, my dear, may join me at the training field if you wish. I will help you learn to defend yourself if you wish it."

Lucy smiled. "I'll do that."

Scott smiled, "I'll let you reunite with your brother before you meet me." With that, he turned on heel and walked away. He pulled his hood up, shielding his face.

After Peter sent Edmund to get sleep, Lucy ran to find Scott. She found him at the archery range, firing at targets strapped to agile jaguars. The targets were all but blurs, but Scott hit each one with deadly accuracy. Lucy called to him. "Scott! I'm here!"

Turning to see her, Scott grinned and slid his bow into his lengthened quiver so it rested like Susan's bow. "Hey there, Lucy." He looked at the jaguars for a moment. "Thank you for your aid, my friends."

The largest of the cats bowed in return. "It is an honor to serve the Forest Ranger." With that, the jaguars bounded off toward the main camp.

Looking back at Lucy, he said, "Come on. I'm going to take you to the armory. We're going to have something forged for you." He took the girl's hand so she wouldn't get lost in the maze of tents and soldiers and led her to Alfrigg's forge. He looked at Alfrigg and said, "I have a job that you need to fulfill for the future queen of Narnia. I need two wraith tools shortened and lightened to fit her hands. Try to finish them within the hour."

Alfrigg bowed. "It will be as you command, General."

Scott smiled and thanked the dwarf. He then led Lucy back through the maze of tents to the workbench of Alfrigg's cousin Grer. Grer was a leatherworker whose skill matched his cousin's in metalworking. "May I see your dagger, Lucy?" he asked the girl. Surprised, Lucy nodded and handed the knife to her guard. Looking down at the Grer, he said, "I'll need a shoulder strap that we can attach to her belt." He indicated Lucy's aforementioned belt. "Make it of finished red leather and give it a sheath for this blade." He showed Grer the dagger. "I'm having your cousin make two tools for her. See him for the dimensions, and then I need scabbards for them that can be fixed to her belt. Have the scabbards be of the same material as the strap. I want these items as lightweight as possible. Do your best work as it will be one of the future queens of the realm."

Like his cousin, Grer nodded and bowed. "As you command, General Castillo. It will be done within the hour."

Scott laughed. "Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me. I meant to ask you about that. The within the hour part." Grer merely smiled and bowed again.

The two went thanked Grer, then Scott led Lucy to an open field outside the camp. "Well, Lady Lucy, we have almost an hour to wait until your new weapons will be done. It's up to you to decide what we'll do now."

Lucy frowned. "Like what?"

Scott shrugged. "Well, anything you want. We can do something together, or you can have me entertain you. You can have me tell a story, dance for you, shove jam up my nose, anything."

Lucy giggled. "You're funny, Scott. Let's just talk. We can do something else later."

Scott bowed. "As you wish, milady." With that, he collapsed onto the soft ground.

Gasping, Lucy asked, "Are you all right?" After realizing that her guard was just tired, she sat down next to him. "Well, Scott, I need you to do something for me." Scott looked up at her. "Don't call me 'milady.' Only call Susan that."

Rolling onto his stomach, the ranger asked, "Mm. Why would you want me to do that?"

"That should be a sort of nickname for her. One that only you can call her."

Still confused, Scott frowned. "I still don't get it, Lucy. Why do you want me to call her that as a nickname?"

Lucy sighed exasperatedly. "I'm _trying_ to get Susan to realize that she likes you. And I think she likes it when you call her 'milady.' You see, while we were sleeping last night, I thought I heard her say 'milady' in her sleep."

Scott grinned. "Thanks, Lucy. But why would you want me to be with your sister? I'm just a soldier from California. I don't have much to offer a queen."

Lucy chuckled. "And underneath, Susan is just a quiet girl from London. You just need to get to know her. Besides, you two could make each other happy. Not like Christopher." At this last comment, Lucy's face darkened a bit.

"Who's Christopher?" asked Scott.

"Susan's old boyfriend. She was never really happy with him. He was more like a study friend than a boyfriend. All he ever wanted to do was study or read with her. That was fine at first, but who wants to read all the time? Even Susan can't do that. He was a nice boy, but not a good boyfriend."

Scott nodded. "I see." The two talked of lighter things for a while. Finally, Scott announced, "Well, we'd better pick up your new gifts, Lucy." He helped her to her feet and led her back toward the camp.

Right before they passed the sentries, Lucy turned to her bodyguard saying, "One more thing. Don't talk to me all proper like you do with Peter and Susan. Talk to me like you were my brother."

Ruffling her hair, Scott laughed. "Now _that's_ something I won't have trouble doing. You _feel_ like a little sister to me." First, they visited Grer and picked up the band and sheaths. Scott helped sling the strap around Lucy and attach the ends to her belt. Taking her dagger from her old sheath, he placed in the one sewn onto the strap above her chest. He then fastened the larger scabbards onto her belt. "Now," he started, "let's go fill those sheaths." They went to Alfrigg and collected two small assassin-styled daggers. The blades were curved and razor-edged, made of slightly blue-tinged steel. Runes from an ancient Narnian language were inscribed near the hilt. Sliding the knives into their sheaths, Scott thanked the dwarf.

As they headed back to the training grounds, Lucy asked, "But what about my dagger's old scabbard? What should I do with that?"

Scott reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out a small crystal vial. Inside was a blue liquid. Slipping it into the old sheath, he explained. "Not all wounds are grievous enough to be treated by the juice of the fire-flower. Some require only a drop of this: the blood of viola. Its powers are not as great as fire-flower juice. Rather, it is for small to medium cuts and weak poisons. Now, draw your blades." Lucy did as she was told and awkwardly held the daggers before her. "Your old knife is a reliable weapon, but not one suitable for combat. Please learn to use these."

Lucy nodded solemnly. "I am ready to learn."

"Good. Watch me," instructed Scott. He drew his own hunting knife. It had a broader blade and was double-edged, styled like Lucy's old dagger. "Now, as you can see, my knife is different from your blades, but I'll do my best to teach you. Lesson one: drawing your daggers." Scott resheathed his knife and motioned for Lucy to do the same with hers. "Okay, first, you want to make sure you have easy access to your weapons. Do you?" Lucy nodded. "Good, now notice that I've fixed your scabbards to that the hilts lean inward. I don't want your right hand to draw your left weapon and vice versa like you would do with a sword. Your right hand unsheathes your right knife and your left draws the left. Got it?"

"I think so," replied Lucy. She took hold of each hilt and pulled straight up. The daggers emerged from their scabbards, though with a bit of difficulty. "Like this?"

Scott half-smiled. "Almost. Do it like this." He took hold of his knife's hilt, which lay on his right side, and whipped it upward and across his body. When he was done, he could have slashed down across Lucy's chest. "Draw them both at the same time, but you do it slowly at first. I don't want you to hurt yourself. She did so, and realized another reason why Scott had fastened the sheaths at an angle. "Notice that the blade is away from your body when you draw them. This shows that you're doing it right."

For the next hour, Scott helped Lucy through thrusts, cuts, small jabs, hilt blows, and throwing. Finally, Peter and a rejuvenated Edmund rode up, Peter on the pearly unicorn the stablemaster had picked for him and Edmund on a feisty warhorse named Phillip who had earned quite a reputation for being annoyingly sharp-tongued. If Edmund was anything like he'd heard, the two would either get along famously or be at each other's throats. Seeing as Phillip could talk, it would not be a great surprise to Scott if the horse could draw a blade to duel the boy. Lucy, excited at her progress ran off to show her sister, leaving Scott to train the brothers. "Well, gentlemen, it is good to see you hale and hearty." Turning, to Edmund, he said, "I'm Scott Castillo, Lord Edmund, out of the United States. I'm also known as the Forest Ranger, General Castillo, and, on occasion, you bastard." Seeing Edmund laugh, Scott felt heartened. "I've been assigned by Aslan to protect you and your siblings while training them for the upcoming battle. You have come here with your brother to learn the art of fighting from horseback. I can see that you ride well enough, seeing as you rode Phillip here without dying." Peter laughed as though recalling something quite amusing, which he probably was.

Edmund and Phillip, on the other hand, looked quite irritated. The horse turned to the ranger, his eyes flashing dangerously. "You make it sound like it is a bad thing to work with me, Castillo."

Scott laughed. "I never said that, you did." Turning to the brothers, he cheerfully said, "Let's get to work. Oh, wait. Peter, put on your armor and take Edmund to Alfrigg's forge to pick up his armor. I've got some training tools to pick up. Meet me back here in twenty minutes.

As Scott had asked, Peter and Edmund rode back to the training field dressed in their armor and helms. Alfrigg had forged Edmund a medium sized sword known as a bastard blade. It was smaller than Peter's longsword and was meant for one and a half hands, so the wielder used one hand or one clasped over the other. A few minutes later, a huge man with the head of a bull lumbered onto the field. The minotaur carried a massive double-headed axe in his hands and a crude two-handed greatsword lay in its sheath, which was strapped on the monster's back.

"Edmund," whispered Peter. "That's one of the Witch's soldiers. Get back to camp and call reinforcements. I'll stay here and buy you time."

But before Edmund could turn Phillip, the minotaur called out to him. "Halt or you will not learn how to kill those who look like me when you face them." With that the minotaur pulled at his hideous head until if came off. The brothers drew back in shock when Scott's grinning face popped up between the supposed minotaur's shoulders. "Yeah, I killed this bad boy a few weeks back. I thought I'd hollow out the head and mount it to a helm just in case I needed it. Minotaurs are the strongest creatures you'll face, aside from Jadis herself. Remember what I told you, Peter: her soldiers are slow, powerful, and stupid. Minotaurs are the exception. They _are_ slow and powerful, but the usually tend to be quite intelligent, at least in the ways of war. Think of them as slower, stronger centaurs with all knowledge and no wisdom. If you can beat them, you should be able to handle most anything else. Ideally, we'd be able to simulate the White Witch, but I've still got to figure out how to use magic." Indicating to the four smaller figures next to him, he said, "Cormag, Illyn, Ike, and Tyrion will help us train by playing the part of minoboars: smaller, faster, and dumber pig versions of minotaurs. Let's begin."

Settling the helm back on his head, Scott tightened his grip on the training axe and charged Peter and Edmund. His rangers did the same with their longswords. Since they were outnumbered five to one, the brothers had a hard time keeping up. After a while, they leaped from their mounts and proceeded to fight on foot. Finding his axe to cumbersome, Scott cast it aside and drew his greatsword. He advanced toward Edmund, who was busy fighting off a "minoboar." Seeing the "minotaur" approach, the smaller enemy ran off to join the other three who were harassing Peter. Scott raised his blade to slash down and to the left, but as he attacked, Edmund rolled to the right. His one-handed blow came at a bad angle and glanced off Scott's fauld. Before Scott could raise his greatsword again, Edmund drove the point of his bastard blade under the "minotaur's" head. Scott's voice issued out. "Whoa, tiger, don't kill me yet. I'm supposed to guard you until the true battle's start. I yield." With that, he surrendered the battered greatsword to Edmund. Removing the helm, Scott added, "Don't let it get to your head, but you've got a lot more talent than your brother, at least in combat." Three of the "minoboars" had yielded, but Peter was struggling with Illyn, a particularly quick ranger. Edmund raced to help his brother. When Illyn turned to meet Edmund, Peter put the tip of his longsword up to the back of Illyn's neck.

"Hah!" laughed Edmund. "We defeated the mighty Forest Ranger! We're invincible!" He roared in triumph.

Scott shook his head. "Remember what I said about not letting it get to your head? Anyway, you didn't beat me, you beat the minotaur I was pretending to be. If I was in my own armor, it wouldn't even be close. You were supposed to win this one. But you _did_ do better than I expected." After noting the sun's position, he said, "Great job again. I've gotta run to help your sister with archery." With that, he ran off to return the minotaur armor to Alfrigg, wash up, don his normal armor, and find Susan.

As he set off to find her, he noticed a crowd of jeering soldiers gathering near Aslan's tent. Seeing Jadis' palanquin, he rushed to find the Pevensie children. He spotted them near Aslan's tent and ran to meet them. The White Witch lowered her gaze to glare at Edmund, but Scott stepped in front of his liege, placed his hands on the hilts his long scimitars, and glared right back at Jadis. She looked away and began talking to Aslan about Edmund's traitorous blood belonging to her. "Bull," muttered Scott. "I'm not Narnian so I don't give a damn about this Old Magic. It's probably all made up to fit her wants anyway. She wants Edmund, she'll have to go through me."

Jadis entered Aslan's tent to negotiate with the lion in privacy. After almost an hour, the two emerged, and Aslan announced that Jadis had relinquished her claim on Edmund's life. Scott cheered with the others, but he didn't buy Aslan's story. _Something's up. Jadis doesn't give up that easily. There's something we're not being told. I'll find out eventually._

After the celebration had died down and Jadis had returned to her camp, Susan met Scott at the archery range with her weapon. "All right, shall we begin?" asked Susan.

Scott smiled slightly. "At your command, milady. Let's see you shoot." Susan shot perfectly. Scott grinned. "You've doubtlessly improved, milady. Now, can you hit a moving target?"

A shadow of doubt crossed Susan's face. "I can try." They spent almost an hour working on hitting moving targets, but Susan just couldn't get the hang of it. "I'm hopeless."

"No, milady. This just isn't your purpose. For example, I have a terrible time controlling shortbows, and I'm useless with a greatsword. But I'm all but invincible with a longbow and scimitars. You're great at putting the arrow where you want to, you just aren't the best candidate to bring down a carrier pigeon. They don't use them here, but you get what I'm saying. Don't get discouraged."

Susan smiled weakly. "Thanks, Scott. I need you to do something for me."

"Anything, milady."

Looking into his dark eyes. "Don't speak to me so formally, but still call me milady."

Scott nodded. "As you wish, milady." After a short silence, he added. "Also, milady, I know I swore I wouldn't, but will you give me your permission…to love you?"

Susan smiled softly. Leaning forward to him, she whispered. "A man should never have to ask permission to love his lady. And he should never be shocked when she tells him that she loves him back." Taking advantage of his astonished silence, she tackled him and the two rolled in the field, laughing. Scott forgot all about the war and his orders. He cared about nothing but Susan, beautiful, intelligent, and his.

When they stopped moving, Susan lay on top of Scott. Looking up at her, he said, "You know this can't last, don't you? We won't be able to keep this hidden once you become queen."

She lowered herself, touching his forehead with hers. "Then let's make the most of the time that we have."

Scott lifted his head to bring his mouth up to hers. A moment before they touched, he murmured, "As milady commands." A moment later, the two were in heaven.


	4. A Grave Day

The next morning, Scott walked over to Susan and Lucy's tent to wake them up and talk with Susan. However, as he drew near, he noticed Peter emerge from the tent, an anxious expression on his face. "Sir Peter, what's up? Is something wrong?" Peter turned to see his guard, and his expression darkened.

"Scott, it's Susan and Lucy. They're gone. I-I know where they went, but I'm not sure where they are. The trees have told me what they know. My sisters went with Aslan to the Stone Table, where they saw him murdered in payment for Edmund's life. Now that the Lion is dead, the White Witch plans to attack with all her strength. Dwarves, minoboars, minotaurs, tigers, goblins, wolves, and the like."

Scott nodded. "Maybe it's better if Susan and Lucy are gone. If we don't know where they are, Jadis won't either. Now, as for Jadis' host, we don't have time to call in reinforcements. A full retreat, even one to buy time, is tantamount to relinquishing your claim to Narnia. We have to fight."

Edmund joined them, visibly worried. "The Witch outnumbers us greatly. The numbers are probably two to one in her favor."

Oreius rode up to them. "My lords, here is not the place to discuss this. The soldiers should not need this talk. They are already shocked over Aslan. There is no need to add to this."

Peter nodded. "Agreed, General. Let us retire."

Scott sniggered. "'Let us retire?' You're starting to sound like a proper lord now, sir."

The centaur glared down at his fellow general. "General Castillo, this is not the time to be joking. The fate of the entire campaign is at stake. If we cannot win the day, Narnia is lost. How can you joke at a time like this?"

"Peace, General," piped up Edmund. "Scott meant no harm, right?" The American nodded. "See? Come, let's proceed."

The four reached Aslan's tent without further incident. Peter spread out a tactical map showing the surrounding area. "All right, Oreius, what is our situation?"

Taking unit markers, the centaur began placing them according to the location of the Witch's soldiers. "We know that Jadis will come from the south. I would have us make a stand at the ridge. She will charge first. We can weaken them until our countercharge. I suggest lining our units like this." He placed the red markers at positions opposite the black.

Edmund frowned. "See, our numbers are only about half of theirs."

Scott forcefully pointed at the map. "Have you not been listening, milord? _We'll control the high ground!_ The man who controls the high ground controls the battle until he relinquishes it." Turning to Peter, he said, "Milord, I would make a minor adjustment to the general's plan. Rather than charging as Oreius suggests, I would have us make the most of our archers and other ranged units." He rearranged the unit markers, moving them farther back. "Stick to the rocks. We pepper them as they come, and once they reach the base of the ridge, the powerful units fall on them. Minimal risk."

Oreius spoke up. "And what makes you sure that the Witch will attack when she sees that leaders of the army aren't at the head of a great host. You know she'll expect that."

Scott had forgotten about that. He sighed, admitting defeat. "You're right, Oreius. Milord, do I have your permission to select and lead a vanguard unit behind Jadis' lines?"

Oreius jerked his head around at that. "A vanguard group to strike her whole army? That's suicidal! Even you wouldn't survive that."

Scott stared coolly back at the centaur general. "Begging your pardon, but I've lived through more than you know. Besides, we're not just going to strike. I want to make them chase us so we can draw some of them away from you."

Peter nodded. "General Oreius, I've seen this man's fighting skills before, and I know that was just a fraction of what he's capable of. I believe in the Forest Ranger. You may choose your men for this unit, but it must be a volunteer mission."

Scott half-bowed. "Thank you, milord. By your leave." Peter nodded, and Scott left to find his rangers. He chose Notus and ten other centaurs. They all armed themselves with two longswords and a yewbow. Scott stuck with his scimitars and longbow. He cleaned his armor, sharpened his blades, and fletched a few more arrows. After thinking for a minute, he had Tibarn, a hawk, join his men, who were assembled near the camp's east entrance. "We ride to the Fords of Beruna. We'll hide in the trees and follow their host to the ridge. Then, we strike and move south, drawing as many as we can. Any questions?"

Notus spoke up. "General, why are we taking thirteen? That's bad luck."

Scott smirked. "We aren't the only ones capable of suffering bad luck. Jadis is about to taste some. Anyone else?"

"Me, General Castillo!" A female voice sounded from about fifty yards away. Scott turned to see…

"SUSAN!" His lover was running across the field, armored in boiled leather and carrying her shortbow. Scott quickly dismounted, handing off his mustang to Notus. He ran toward her and embraced her as they met. After kissing her deeply, he asked, "What are you doing here? Where's Lucy?"

Kissing him back, she whispered, "There's a loophole in the Old Magic. Aslan's alive and Lucy is with him gathering reinforcements. And I heard you were organizing a volunteer strike force. I'm volunteering." Before he could protest, she said, "And I'm ordering you as your queen to take me." Scott laughed at that, confusing Susan. "What? What did I say?" Finally realizing the double meaning of her words, she slapped his arm. "Pervert!" She dropped her voice, giving it a seductive edge, "Not until later."

After his laughter died down, he choked out, "Well, that gives me a very good reason to keep both of us alive."

Susan laughed with him. "Shut up and let's ride."

As they headed back to the formation, they passed Scott's tent. He quickly ducked inside, handing a shortsword to Susan. "I know I haven't trained you with this, so only use it if you must. Make every shot count." As he led her over to the mustang, he said, "We don't have time to saddle another horse, so we're going to ride double." She nodded. Scott turned to Notus and said, "There, we have fourteen. Happy?" The centaur grunted in response. Making sure Susan was settled, he cried, "_WE RIDE!_" Cheers erupted from Peter's camp. The thirteen rangers-and one lady-moved north for the southern fords. A short time later, he asked her, "So, how did you talk Peter into this?"

She grinned slyly. "What? Peter was still in camp?"

Scott laughed. "You evil, evil girl. Now I _really_ can't afford to let you get harmed in any way."

The rangers halted in the brush near the fords. Turning to the Tibarn, Scott muttered, "Tibarn, move above the clouds and search for Jadis' host. Once you have their location, return to me and tell me what you have seen. We'll strategize after hearing your report.

The hawk bowed. "As you will, Forest Ranger." With that, he shrieked and took to the air, quickly passing out of sight. The next several minutes were spent in silent anticipation. The centaurs took turns standing guard while Scott and Susan sat together in the center of the trees, weapons drawn. Finally, Tibarn returned, quite exhausted. He went up to Scott and began giving his report. "It's bad, sir. She's got almost double of your original estimates. Mostly small units like dwarves and goblins, but a good number of giants and minotaurs as well. No birds or winged soldiers, so we have the advantage there. At their current pace, they'll be on us in about five minutes."

Scott frowned. "And no one saw you?"

The hawk shook his head. "No, sir."

The young general nodded slowly, his brow furrowed in thought. "Damn, this isn't what I expected." The centaurs began stamping their hooves restlessly. Scott thought for a while, and by the time he spoke again, the rangers could faintly hear the sounds of Jadis' army. "Alright, we're going to cut them in half. Jadis and her strongest soldiers will be at the head of the army, so we don't need to worry about them. On my command, we ride. Blades, not bows. Ride through the column and don't stop to fight. We'll draw as many as we can toward Dancing Lawn and cut them down there. Once we've bloodied them well and good, I'll signal you to break to the north. We'll come behind Jadis' host and hit them there." Turning to the hawk, he said, "Fly low, my friend. You're harder to hit when you're higher, but you can strike back when you're low." Looking back at Susan, he muttered, "I know I said blades, but I need you to shoot. Remember: both eyes open, arm level. Don't waste too many shots, milady."

Facing everyone, he said, "Draw." Twenty-two longswords and two scimitars were liberated of their sheaths. "Clash." The swords came together, steel to steel. "We ride in a column, the queen and I in front, Notus behind us, then two columns of five centaurs each. Tibarn will bring up the rear." They all nodded. "I chose you all because you were with me from day one. I know you all are honorable fighters and valiant ones at that. You are all my trusted comrades and friends. Remember what you rode for before joining the army." The rangers all nodded stiffly. Turning to Susan, he said, "Milady, from the beginning, I saw something different in you, something that I couldn't be without. I love you, Susan, but after today, you will be a queen. So, I ask this of you. After this ride, please don't forget your Forest Ranger who will always love you." Susan gave him a watery smile that mirrored the one she received. By now, a good portion of Jadis' host had passed the grove oblivious to the speech one of their most hated foes was giving. "Let's go," muttered Scott. As the vanguard burst from the trees, Scott raised a sword, shrieking "FOR THE FOREST!"

"THE FOREST! THE FOREST!" The rangers roared their approval as they crashed into the enemy. The first few soldiers were trampled by the hooves of Scot and Susan's mustang. Several more were cut down by Scott's northern steel, Susan's swift shafts, the centaurs' heavy blades, or Tibarn's razor-edged talons. The black-armored host reeled, caught off guard by the sudden attacks. _Draw, notch, release. _Susan reminded herself cautiously to keep from being caught up in the chaos. As she felt the heat of Scott's body in front of her, she regained her poise and shot effortlessly.

"BREAK! BREAK!" yelled Scott. The rangers wheeled around and cut through Jadis' column a second time. Scott led his men south, closely pursued by several dwarves, goblins, wolves, and even a minotaur. They rode for several minutes, their enemies never too far behind, before finally seeing the welcome trees of Dancing Lawn. The rangers put on an extra spurt of speed and were swallowed by the trees.

Behind them, Kamos, the minotaur in charge of the pursuit, bellowed, "Don't let the traitors escape!" His men scrambled into Dancing Lawn…

And were met by a storm of arrows. The first wave of attackers slumped to the ground, but another took their place. Notus and his centaurs fired two more volleys, then drew their longswords once again and charged their foes. Tibarn swooped in, targeting dwarven archers. Scott and Susan were perched in a tree, taking shots at enemies that were a good distance from their allies.

Finally, Kamos barged into the clearing. "TRAITORS! TIME TO DIE AT THE HANDS OF KAMOS, THE AXE OF THE EMPIRE!" he shouted. He swung his mighty two-headed axe and caught Boreas, one of the centaurs, on its flat. Boreas went flying into a tree, not dead, but unconscious.

Scott saw Kamos move in for the kill. Turning to Susan, he whispered, "Stay here. Keep shooting, but stay in the tree." With that he leapt down, drawing his scimitars. Thinking for a moment, he sheathed one blade and drew his knife, which he hurled at Kamos. As he expected, it couldn't break through the minotaur's plate, mail, and boiled leather, but it at least got his attention. In three, long strides, Scott closed the gap between him and the enemy commander. He withdrew his knife, sheathed it, and drew his second scimitar, all in a single, fluid motion. "You, Kamos, are the traitor. Not to any monarch, but to the realm. You betrayed Narnia. The penalty for treason is death."

Kamos gripped his axe in both hands and swung wildly at the general. "Then I request trial by combat, Forest Ranger. Yes, I know who you are."

Scott grinned, lashing out with his blades. "Good, then you won't be killed by some nameless soldier." He blocked a blow, then slashed downward at his opponent's chest. However, the blow came at an awkward angle, and glanced off Kamos' plate. Scott quickly jumped back, landing in a defensive position. Kamos bellowed and charged him. Scott ducked and thrust, one blade finding the opening between Kamos' greave and fauld. Black blood oozed from the wound in Kamos' thigh. "Ha!"

Shaking off the pain, the minotaur's next attack caught the ranger off guard. The axe's flat sent Scott crashing to the ground. One blade was knocked from Scott's unprepared hand. With the second, he swung wildly at Kamos' weapon, severing its head. The minotaur cast aside the now-useless axe shaft and drew a gleaming greatsword. Scott, still stunned on the ground, kicked desperately at Kamos' hand in an attempt to disarm his foe. However, he only got a very painful bruise on his foot from clashing with the mailed gauntlet. Crying out, he felt his second blade scatter away from him as his arm twitched with the shock from the contact with Kamos. Drawing his knife, Scott rolled underneath Kamos and stabbed at his back. Once again, the blade failed to penetrate all of the minotaur's armor layers. A powerful backhand sent Scott sprawling again. The minotaur readied his greatsword and prepared to deliver the final blow.

Suddenly, spurts of blood went up from each of the minotaur's appendages and he collapsed as his legs gave out. Scott looked up to see Susan standing over Kamos, shortsword in hand. She smirked as she tossed him his fallen weapons. "A general should never command a queen and expect her to follow his orders."

Scott grinned. Gesturing to her sword, he breathed, "Finish it. Before he gets up."

However, Susan extended her hand to him and helped draw him up to his feet. "Didn't you hear me? Don't expect me to always follow your orders." As Scott incredulously motioned toward Kamos' fallen body, she drew one of his scimitars and pressed it into his hand. "Together." Scott nodded. In unison, the two lovers raised their swords and slammed them into Kamos' back. The minotaur twitched for a final time, then succumbed to death. The rangers cheered, for Kamos was the last of Jadis' troops to be dispatched.

Helping Susan back onto the mustang before mounting himself, Scott turned to his rangers, all of whom had miraculously survived. "Come, my friends! We have won a battle. We must now win a war!" With that, he turned his horse northward and rode furiously, pursued by his roaring rangers. As they neared the cliffs, they saw that their forces were desperately needed. Jadis' troops had gotten past Oreius' defenses and were washing over the cliffs. Sir Peter was leading a few brave soldiers who were making a stand, but it was not nearly enough. _They should have followed my plan._

Sheathing his scimitar and pulling his longbow free, Scott roared, "TO THE KING!" With another loud cry, the rangers charged in one, last act of defiance. Scott notched an arrow along with Susan and began riding the mustang with just his knees. _Damn, this is always annoying._ Startled by the cry, Jadis' host turned to see the band of rangers descending on them. Excited by the thought of easy prey, some of the forces turned to face the rangers, however, some ran when they saw who was leading them. "Loose!" ordered Scott. The centaurs, Susan, and Peter himself fired a volley of arrows at the oncoming force. "Notch!" The distance closed rapidly. "Draw!" The Witch's army suddenly seemed a lot larger than before, maybe too much for Scott to handle. _No. I'm not dying here!_ "Loose! Fire at will!" Arrows flew over his head as the centaurs and Susan launched as many shafts as they could.

As they neared the black army, Scott cried, "Swords!" The centaurs drew their longswords and overtook Scott, crashing into the enemy lines. Susan continued firing away, hitting each of her targets. Needing more control over his horse now that he was in the thick of the battle, Scott exchanged his longbow for one scimitar. He slashed at the goblins, dwarves, and other scourges that Jadis had unleashed upon Narnia. More and more black-armored soldiers pooled around the rangers. Suddenly, a sound as welcome as anything rung clearly in Scott's ears.

A wild, untamed roar.

Looking up, Scott and Susan saw Aslan charging down the ridge, leading a great host. "It's over," breathed Susan.

Digging his heels into the horse's side, Scott broke away from the main battle and headed for the cliffs. Finding a sheltered overhang, Scott dismounted before helping Susan down. "Well, milady, we've survived three nearly-suicidal parts of a deadly battle. I think we deserve a few minutes to ourselves before returning to our duties." Susan nodded, pulling him down onto the soft earth. He wrapped her up in an embrace before leaning down and kissing her. It wasn't their first kiss, but it seemed different from other ones they'd shared. _Hmm…surviving a nearly certainly-deadly battle can do that, I guess._ After a while, Scott found his mouth parting and his tongue pressing up against Susan's lips, begging entrance. This caught Susan by surprise, but she was all too eager to comply regardless. Her tongue slid out to meet his, wrestling with his in an attempt to claim supremacy of their mouths.

When it was finally over, Scott realized that she'd moved his hand above two soft mounds of her flesh. "To the victor go the spoils," she whispered seductively. Her face, her body were so enticing.

He gave her a feral grin. "You don't know how much I wish I could take you up on that offer, milady." He helped her up and walked back into the sunlight with her. "Go find your siblings. I'm going to help reorganize the troops with Oreius. I'll see you back at camp, milady." With a final kiss, he rode off to find survivors.

True to his word, she saw him in the camp, but she could only be alone with him for a few minutes. As they stumbled into his tent, drunk on their victory, Scott decided he needed to sober both himself and her. He didn't have time before to open his mouth before Susan said, "Mmm…your tent is a bit small but it should be big enough for two people who love each other."

Turning to her sadly, Scott lowered his voice, saying, "Look, milady, we both want to do this, but we can't. You lord husband, whoever he is, will want a noble virgin, not a girl tainted by the flesh of a common-born general. I can't see you again. Not in this way. No one knows of our relationship other than my rangers, and they won't say anything. It's not too late for us to back out of this, so now is the time. I plan to hire myself out as a mercenary for a little while before returning to California, so, please, if you need any rebellions put down, remember my blades and bow."

Susan's expression became somber. "No, don't say things like that. I can raise you up to a lord. No one will oppose us then." Her outburst was met with silence. "I can't live without you," she whispered shakily. A single tear trickled down her pale, smooth cheek.

Scott gently brushed it away with his thumb. "Yes. You can," he whispered.

The two had forgotten that the tent was open. A minoboar captive being marched past the tent saw Susan crying and heard Scott mutter 'Yes. You can.' He screamed, "And you call me a traitor? The Forest Ranger is seducing the queen in his tent!"

The guard looked into the tent and Susan and Scott sitting on the pallet. "No!" muttered the faun. "GENERAL CASTILLO IS TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LADY SUSAN!" The soldier's cries aroused the camp, and the minoboar was able to sneak away.

"Damn!" swore Scott. Snatching up his weapons, he headed toward the forest, pausing to put a dart into the treacherous minoboar's back. He disappeared into the trees, leaving Susan behind, weeping silently in his tent.

He wasn't at her coronation.


	5. Aftermath

High King Peter looked down at the royal guard who had notified him of a newly-caught prisoner's arrival. Turning to his siblings, he muttered. "It will be good to get this over with. This debacle should have been resolved years ago. The door at the end of the hall opened, and a rugged-looking humanoid figure staggered in, flanked by two heavily armed guards. As he approached the thrones, the man kneeled.

"My lieges, please forgive me for not being able to see you ascend these thrones. I'm sure it was magnificent." The man's accent was all too familiar to the Narnian monarchs.

Turning to the guards, Peter commanded, "Leave us." The soldiers bowed and exited the hall. Once the door was securely shut, Peter stood. "Rise, Scott Castillo, Forest Ranger, renegade general of the Narnian Liberation Movement."

As he stood up, Scott glared at Peter. "Long title for such a lowborn general. Want to throw in that I was the one to teach you how to fight, thus indirectly saving your life?"

"Silence," ordered Peter forcefully. "You didn't have to leave. You would have been entitled to a fair trial by tribunal. If you were innocent, as you still claim, you would have nothing to fear."

"You've got a good few years on the throne and you still don't know your own people." Scott shook his head sympathetically. "They despised me in that camp, everyone but my own rangers. I'm a human, not Narnian born, yet I still rose to a general's rank due to my own natural, most likely demon-given, combat skills and tactical mind. You were chosen to save and rule Narnia. Not me. Only four humans were mentioned in the prophesy. Not five. I'm hated by all true Narnians. The only ones who would support me are fellow humans and blood traitors!" Scott paused, breathing heavily. "To appease the masses you would have to find me guilty of seducing Lady Susan, the punishment for which would be death. Some fair trial. I ask you, Your Grace, what would you have done if you were me? Certain death if you stayed, a life as an outcast-but still life-if you left."

Peter shook his head, faintly smiling. "Your tongue is as silver as your blades, Scott. Fortunately for you, that wonderful speech tipped the scales just slightly in your favor. Due to the fact that testimonies from both your rangers and my sister were unopposed other than by prisoners hoping for release, you have been cleared of all charges concerning the seduction of Susan. In addition, your recent argument has justified your desertion. Reaching behind his throne, Peter withdrew two silver scimitars, a yew longbow, and a full quiver. Handing them to Susan, who had stood, he said, "Welcome back to the army, General Castillo."

Susan approached Scott slowly, weapons in hand and a relieved smile on her face. As she reached him, she held out her hands with the weapons. Scott, smiling back, took the scimitars and fastened them onto his belt, strapped the quiver onto his back, and kept the bow in his hand. "Thank you, Your Grace." Peter nodded, and Scott turned to leave.

He was almost at the doors when he heard a voice behind him. "General Castillo, I would ask a favor of you." Susan stood at the foot of the thrones, a pleading look on her face. "I know that as of now, we have no immediate enemies, but, if it please you, I would have you be my Shadow."

Scott contemplated the request. Susan was asking him to be her closest bodyguard, a guard not always seen, more often felt. He would be with her at every waking moment of his life, not eating or sleeping until she did, never letting her out of his sight. He would be close to her, giving him the opportunity to apologize for any trouble his departure might have caused her. On the other hand, the closeness could tempt him to actually do what he was, until recently, accused of. Looking her in the eye, he said, "Your Grace, you don't ask a general to do anything. You order him." The two grinned. "My life is yours, Your Grace."

Susan smiled broadly. "Milady. Call me milady," she whispered. With that, the day's royal audiences ended. The siblings began to leave for each of their respective chambers when Edmund's voice rang out.

"Wait, there is one more matter I must attend to." Grumbling, the monarchs returned to their thrones. "Peter, please give me your sword." Confused, but not feeling argumentative, Peter complied. "General Castillo, kneel." Realizing what was going on, Scott tried to protest, but Edmund reminded him that he was king now. Scott grudgingly obeyed his king. "For unparalleled duty leading up to the battle for Narnia's liberation, and for valor and combat prowess beyond compare in the aforementioned battle, I hereby name General Scott Castillo Lord of Owlwood and the Northlands in the name of the royal crown of Narnia. Rise, Lord Castillo."

Scott rose, scowling at Edmund. _I'll get you back for that one day, kid. Just wait._ Peter retrieved his weapon from Edmund. "Anything else, Ed?" he asked, almost sarcastically. His brother shook his head and turned to leave.

Scott followed Susan to her chambers. She stopped in front of the two centaurs guarding her door. "This is my new Shadow. He will now relieve you of your post. You're dismissed." Bowing, the guards left. Scott took up their former position next to the door. "Lord Castillo, if you wouldn't mind, would you come with me? We could…talk, catch up."

Scott nodded. "Of course, milady." He followed her into the room, remaining by door while she sat on the edge of her bed. For a moment, he felt awkward, shifting his feet slightly.

Susan noticed. "Scott, what's wrong?"

Looking over at her, he muttered, "It's…just this new title. Lordship doesn't really fit me." He glanced at the hilts of his scimitars.

Susan frowned slightly. "No, that's not it. You seem nervous-uncomfortable-about being with me." Looking inside him with big, imploring eyes, she pleaded, "Please, tell me that what we shared all that time ago wasn't just a simple fling, a need for physical intimacy that we could fulfill in each other. Tell me that our love was true." Silent tears began inching down her face.

Scott wiped away the tears, then smiled warmly as he took her hand. "I'll tell you everything you need to hear, but you have to stop crying, milady. Your tears seem to signal ill luck for us." Susan laughed shakily. "Everything that we had was, and hopefully still is, true. It's just that I didn't know how to treat you now that you've been crowned. As for the need for physical intimacy, our relationship was so much more than that." He grinned wickedly. "But I won't deny that your lips felt better than anything I've known in my life, and I've been around for a _long_ twenty-one years. Well, combined real world and Narnia years." They both laughed until Susan bent forward and gave Scott a sweet, chaste kiss.

She grinned shyly. "It's seemed like forever since we did that, so I thought you might have forgotten." Before he could protest, she continued. "And it's not against the rules for me to kiss you. Actually, now that Edmund has granted you peerage, _you_ can kiss _me_ as long as I consent, and you know I do."

Searching her face for a moment, he finally realized something. "You! You forced your little brother to grant me peerage so we could continue our relationship!"

Susan feigned a bewildered expression. "Whatever are you talking about? I would never stoop so low! Now I _might_ have suggested to Lucy to tell Edmund…but I would _never_ tell Edmund myself." Scott roared with laughter. Once he calmed down, she lay back on her bed while licking her lips and running a hand down her throat. "So, are you going to thank me for helping you gain a royal pardon and lordship?"

Tracing her jaw with his lips, he murmured, "For the pardon, yes, but not the lordship. For that, you'll be repaid with punishment. _Severe_ punishment." Susan closed her eyes in her pleasure, and he softly kissed her eyelids. Susan giggled at the sensation

"Mmm…I'm shaking where I stand, Lord Scott Castillo Owlwood." She reached up, running her hand through his rough, black hair.

"Lie. You're shaking where you _lie_, Queen Susan Pevensie Narnia." Scott brushed a gentle hand across her smooth cheek. "Well, since this is only possible through my lordship, I suppose I _should_ thank you for helping me obtain it." He kissed her softly, then increasingly more passionately.

As the kisses deepened, he found his arms slipping around her and his nimble fingers unlacing her bodice. At the same time, he felt the laces of his pants being undone. Grinning deviously, Susan began to shrug out of her rich green dress. "And so falls the maiden's cloak," she whispered seductively as their now-useless clothes dropped to the floor...

A guard on patrol duty in the hall outside Susan's chambers heard a series of moans and shrieks. Fearing the worst, he rushed to the door. The centaur was on the verge of kicking in the door when he heard the distinctive voice of Queen Susan gasping, "Oh, don't stop, Scott! Keep going! Oh, Scott, you're home, _you're home_, _YOU'RE HOME!_" Shrugging, the guard withdrew from the door. _Oh well, the realm _does_ need heirs. I'll let them have their fun._

A few weeks later, Scott appeared before Peter in a solo audience. As he approached the throne, he kneeled. A few moments passed before Peter said, "Rise, Lord Castillo." As Scott did so, Peter looked at the paper that had been presented to him as part of the request for the audience. "I believe you come to me with a 'matter upon which hangs the future of stability in the Narnian monarchy.' Is this correct?"

Scott nodded. "I'll be blunt, Your Grace. Are you immortal? In fact, is anyone in your family immortal?"

Peter shook his head hesitantly. "No…I'm not sure where this is going Scott."

"Don't worry, you will, Peter. I _can_ just call you Peter, right?" Before Peter could respond, Scott rolled on. "In order for a royal bloodline to continue, one of the ruling family must marry a person of the nobility, be they another royal or a minor noble. So then, I ask you, _Your Grace_, have you made any plans for a union or unions with a noble house or houses?"

Peter frowned. "No, not yet. But surely we have more time. Even the oldest, myself and Susan, are only 21 and 20."

Clucking his tongue, sympathetically, Scott explained. "Peter, had you four not been the royal family, it wouldn't matter. But, as the rulers of Narnia, you must take alliances into account. Some are forged with gold. Others with promises. However, some are sealed only by the union of two members of families. A union of _matrimony_."

Frowning again, Peter muttered. "Hmm…well, hadn't thought of that."

Scott pressed his advantage. "Another thing to think about, Peter, is the _continuation_ of the line. Any noble is eligible to marry into the royal family, but a very limited number of species are capable of breeding with humans. There are…well, humans of course, and…I'm sure there are others…let's see…maybe-no, that won't work…um…"

This little show helped the mighty Sir Peter Wolfsbane, the Magnificent High King of Narnia see the thing that any moron could have picked up. Mentally slapping himself, Peter cut into Scott's not-so-mindless babbling. "Yes, Scott, I give you permission to court, wed, and…er…_bed_ Susan if she will have you." Obviously shaken by the last item, Peter ended the audience, barely acknowledging Scott's thanks.

For several weeks, Lord Owlwood openly courted Queen Narnia, and few could find fault with the couple. Scott gave Susan the excitement she craved but would not take herself, while Susan helped give Scott the stability and self-control he needed to keep himself in line. Announcing that he would be staying at Cair Paravel for a while longer, Scott appointed Tibarn, the hawk ranger, to the position of steward of Owlwood and the Northlands. He also resigned as Susan's Shadow, preferring to take a more open role in her life. Susan could never get him back to his old position, but to be fair, she never tried very hard.

The relationship progressed well, with Scott sending poetry with the servants who brought her morning meals among other things. The two would often spend the whole day together, walking in the vast gardens, talking, joking, and, whenever Susan's siblings were out of sight, exchanging sweet, chaste kisses.

When Scott finally made a formal proposal of marriage to Susan, Remus, a faun, won the pool Scott's rangers had taken. Scott threatened to tie the faun to the underbelly of a horse while the horse ran from one end of Narnia to the other, but being Scott, he procrastinated so long that he forgot his threat.

The wedding itself was incredible. Among the guests was the royal family, the nobles of Narnia, important military figures including Oreius, elder statesmen, and of course, the rangers of the former Narnian Liberation Movement, now the elite Riders of the Lion. Susan, dressed in a white samite gown and a full crimson cloak bearing the golden lion of Narnia, moved down the aisle toward Scott, not rugged for once and dressed in a semi-military uniform, bearing a multitude of badges from ranger to lord. After the exchange of vows and rings (ironically, Susan had gone to Alfrigg, the former master-at-arms to forge Scott's ring) Scott reached up with gentle hands to Susan's throat. Delicately unfastening the clasp that held her cloak in place, he removed the cloak, carefully folded it, and handed it off to a lesser priest. From another, he accepted a blue and gold bundle. He unfurled it to reveal a royal blue cloak emblazoned with a golden hawk, the new emblem of the province of Owlwood and the Northlands. As gently as he'd removed the Narnian cloak, he fastened the Owlwood cloak around Susan's neck. Once it was completed, the newlyweds turned to the face the cheers of the attendance.

The couple spent a three-week honeymoon at what was formerly Jadis' castle. The halls were designed for a single person's pleasure, but even though there were two main guests, they became one entity at night, so it wasn't too much trouble.

Before anyone had time to fully get used to the marriage, Susan found herself pregnant with Narnia's first heir. Though Scott was only lord of Owlwood, Susan was still a queen of Narnia in addition to Lady of Owlwood, and since she was the only married royal, her child became first in the line of succession. Nine months after the impregnation, Susan gave birth to a healthy girl named Nymestria.

Following her ordeal, Susan decided to join her siblings on a hunt for the White Stag. Scott, consumed by his daughter, agreed, even when Peter asked him to act as steward of Cair Paravel while they were away. When the royal party didn't return after two weeks, Scott began to worry. He left little Nymestria in the hands of his rangers, who his daughter had known almost from birth, armed himself, and rode in the direction his spiders had told him the monarchs had gone. He found their mounts deep in the Western Wood. Going to Phillip, he asked where his wife and her siblings had gone. Grudgingly, the horse told him they had returned to the other side of the door.

_No. She wouldn't have left me. Not without her daughter. Something must have happened. If they are gone, it must mean it's time for me to go. Once a king or queen…or father or mother…in Narnia, always a king, queen, father, or mother._

He wrote a note to his rangers explaining everything that had happened. He also left instructions for his daughter's upbringing. Giving the note to Phillip, he instructed the horse to lead the other four back to Cair Paravel. That done, he turned north, toward the portal from which he'd entered Narnia. As he entered the grove of trees, he looked back at Narnia one last time. _I'll be back; it's just a matter of time._ With that, he turned back to the trees and plunged into them.


	6. Epilogue

Susan Pevensie walked across the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles toward her dorm. The war was over, and Susan, now eighteen, had been accepted into the American college. Peter had been a good English boy and gone to Oxford but Susan, wanting to find out more about her husband, had applied to, and gotten accepted to, school at UCLA. To her dismay, she found that Scott's family had moved north to the San Francisco area. Deciding to make the best of her situation, Susan decided to stay at UCLA and maybe pick up stray clues about Scott. Now in her junior year, she'd made very little progress.

Susan reached her room, fumbled for her keys, and opened the door. Her roommate jumped up as she entered. "Hey! Susan! Look, there's a party tonight at eight. You game?"

"Um…I don't know, Melanie." Susan had been really reluctant to go to parties since she'd returned from Narnia. After all, she _was_ still married, even if she had no idea where her husband was, or even what world he was on.

Clearly disappointed, Melanie began to plead with her roommate. "Oh, come on. Please? You don't have to hook up with anyone, just come and hang out with us."

Hesitantly, Susan let her defenses down. "Fine. What should I wear?" Melanie grinned broadly and began to help her friend get ready. A few hours later, Susan was in the thick of it sulking in the corner. She _really_ didn't want to be here. After a while, Melanie rushed over to her, eyes glistening with excitement.

"Ohmygod! There's a really hot guy dancing over there. Like, exotic hot. He's got really dark skin, but he's not black. And his _eyes_! They're…you know…but anyway, you've _got_ to check him out!" Lacking the energy to resist, Susan let herself be led over to the dance floor. Breakdancing there was a dark-skinned, dark-eyed man. Like Melanie had effectively communicated, his eyes were beyond words. There was something special about them, something that was cocky but could instantly change to be compassionate and loving. They were _his_ eyes.

Just then, the song slowed. The awestruck students surrounding him paired up and began dancing together. The man began looking around for a partner, and his eyes landed on Susan. She looked nothing like she had in Narnia so he didn't recognize her. He simply saw her as a single woman. Walking over to her, he extended his hand. "Wanna dance?"

Smiling softly, Susan whispered, "My lord, you don't ask your wife to do anything. You command her."

With that, Scott's eyes widened with shock and pleasure. "Milady!" The two embraced tightly, and, fortunately, in the sea of bodies, no one noticed. "I've missed you so much. Come on, I have something to show you." Scott led Susan out of the building and across the campus to the library. Entering, the couple walked toward the huge bookshelves, settling themselves between two. Scott reached into his pocket, and withdrew something that he concealed in his fist. "I've kept this with me always just in case I found you." Opening his hand, Scott revealed Susan's wedding ring.

Astounded, Susan took it. "Scott…how?" She slowly slipped it on her finger, still shaking.

Putting a finger to her lips, Scott replied. "I found it near the horses. I buried it, along with mine, near the door from which I came to Narnia. I came to UCLA to visit the school before applying to colleges, and I discovered another way into Narnia. I found Alfrigg, remember the dwarf who served as master-of-arms. He used ancient magics to create a box that made it possible to transport Narnian objects into the real world. So, I found the rings and brought them back."

Susan was still shaking her head in disbelief. "This…this…is incredible. I don't know what to say."

Scott grinned, "I do. Say you'll marry me. I know we were married in Narnia but here, we're still kids and legally single. So, will you marry me, milady?"

Returning Scott's smile, Susan leaned forward and softly kissed Scott. "Of course, my love." Suddenly she began giggling. "It's almost funny. People are saying how I'm never going to lose my virginity until I'm married. They're actually right, even though all that happened when I was barely halfway through secondary school." After a pause, Susan asked, "If you've been to Narnia, how's our daughter?"

"Great, Nymestria is doing great. I had left her with the rangers, but they were called to put down a minor rebellion, and they sent her to live with the Beavers. I explained to her that we weren't from Narnia and we couldn't live with her permanently. She seemed to understand, and she said she wished we could all live together." Grinning mischievously, Scott whispered. "I'm sure little Nymestria wants to see her mom. And Narnia needs a queen, if even for a while."

Susan looked around, then nodded. "Let's go." The two ran back across campus, toward a grove of bushes. The two passed through the wall of green, and emerged in their kingdom. "We're home," breathed Susan.

"Yeah." Scott looked around, seeing the familiar trees of Owlwood. "Yeah, we are."

Suddenly, the sound hooves moved toward them, and a voice called, "Someone is in the lord's wood."

Another voice responded, "So? The lord hasn't been to Owlwood in years. I doubt he even returned to Narnia."

Running toward the voices with Susan, Scott burst in on some of his Owlwood guardsmen. "Gone I may have been, but I will not harbor disloyalty."

Shocked, the centaurs bowed. "My lord!"

Turning to face his men, Scott said, "Bring two fresh horses from the stables. Your lord and queen have business to attend to."

"At once, Lord Castillo!" The centaurs sped off, and within five minutes, two newly-saddled mounts were brought. "Will there be anything else my lord?"

"No, my friends. Thank you. Return to your duties. I shall reward you upon my return." Turning the horses, the noble couple rode north. They passed through the Northern Marshes, then turned west, riding past Jadis' former castle in order to avoid crossing the Great River. Cutting south, the two traveled toward the Beavers' dam. Reaching it several hours after departure, Scott and Susan dismounted, cautiously approaching the dam. Mr. Beaver chose that moment to come out to fish.

"Lord Scott, welcome back. And is that…Queen Susan? Your Grace, we thought you'd forgotten us." Hold on, I let show you the way to the ford.

After crossing the water, Scott slung his arm around his wife's waist before turning to the Beaver. "Susan would never forget Narnia or its people. Is Nymestria here?"

Mr. Beaver nodded. Turning to the house, he called, "Nymestria! Someone's here to see you!" A few moments later, a pretty six year-old girl with light skin and black hair hurried out wearing a royal blue dress with a hawk sewn on the chest.

"Who, Mr. Beaver, who?" Looking past the beaver, she saw Scott and Susan. "Daddy! You're back!" She ran and hugged her father around the waist. Turning to Susan, she asked, "Is this Mommy?"

Ruffling her hair, he said, "Yeah, this is Mommy. Say hi."

Walking over to Susan, Nymestria waved shyly at her. "Hi, mommy. I'm Nymestria."

Susan picked Nymestria up, and the girl wrapped her arms around her mother. The girl was soft and warm, like Scott was, but Nymestria had warming aura of innocence that weakened Susan. Holding her daughter close to her, tears of joy began inching down her face. "You're such a big girl, Nymestria."

Nymestria giggled at that. "I'm already six, mommy."

Laughing shakily, Susan whispered, "I promise we won't leave you for a long time. Okay, baby?"

"Uh-huh! I'm so happy we're all going to be together." Nymestria smiled brightly.

Taking Nymestria from Susan, Scott set her down and said, "We're going to go to our old house. You only lived there for a few days, but we're going to live there now. Go pack your things and get ready to go. And don't forget to say good-bye and thank you to the Beavers. You can come and visit them and even Uncle Tibarn and the rangers from time to time, okay?"

Nymestria nodded. "Okay, daddy." Turning to Susan, she said, "I'll be right back, mommy. Don't go!" With that, the girl turned and disappeared into the dam.

Wrapping Susan up in his arms from behind, Scott muttered, "You sure you want to stay?"

Turning in his arms to face him, Susan nodded. "Of course. Scott, look at her. How can we leave something as precious as her? I can't leave Nymestria. We'll live as husband and wife, mother and father."

Kissing his wife gently on the nose, Scott whispered, "I love you, Susan; so, so much."

Pulling herself close to him, Susan breathed, "I love you too, Scott; more than you know."

"And I love both of you!" Little Nymestria grinned broadly at her parents from the doorway of the dam, holding a small suitcase.

Scott flashed his carefree grin at his little family. "All right then. Ready, Nymestria?" The girl nodded. "Okay, let's go." He lashed his daughter's suitcase to Susan's saddle, then helped his wife mount, like he had so many years ago. He then lifted Nymestria up onto his own saddle, then mounted behind her. The trio rode off to the east, and Susan glanced over at her daughter who was beginning to yawn.

Scott slowed his horse to a trot, and Susan met his pace. "Scott we can't make it all the way to Castle Owlwood tonight," Susan whispered. "Why don't we stop at the Witch's old castle?"

Scott nodded. Susan carried Nymestria in while Scott stabled the horses. Knowing very well that there was only one bedchamber in the whole castle, Susan laid Nymestria in the middle of the giant bed that she and Scott had conceived her on. Scott joined the two later, and he and Susan got into bed with their daughter between them. As they looked at Nymestria sleeping peacefully one last time, Scott and Susan closed their eyes and let themselves be taken by the darkness. Before they completely succumbed to sleep, Susan murmured, "Good night, Lord Owlwood."

Scott opened one eye, and gazed at his family lying peacefully in the bed. Closing his eyes again, he muttered one last farewell.

"Good night, milady."


End file.
